The internet connects us to people around the world. We can even watch live feeds from the International Space Station, in low orbit about the earth. At the same time, the internet connects us to the local. Nowhere is this mor apparent than in digital marketing, where local search engine optimization can produce dramatic results in terms of increasing traffic to your website and your store.
What is inbound marketing?
Inbound marketing is different from the more traditional types of outbound marketing, where advertisers cast a wide net and hoped to catch some part of their target audience. Catalogs, display ads, billboards, cold calls and mailings are all examples of outbound marketing.
The problem, of course, is that there is no way to know if your message is actually reaching those who are interested in your business and in the products and services it offers. Inbound marketing, on the other hand uses the power of the internet for highly targeted marketing. By making your prospective clients and customers look for you, you’re reaching those consumers who are already interested in your brand.
Inbound marketing like local search engine optimization is not only more effective than outbound marketing strategies like cold calls, it’s also more cost efficient, by about 60%. It thus offers the best return in investment or ROI of your advertising dollars.
Why do searches matter?
Online searches drive traffic to websites and thence to real world stores. It’s really that simple. Only, of course, it isn’t. Since inbound marketing relies on making your company’s website stand out in an online search, there are a number of factors to be taken into account.
Web design and search engine optimization are key, because you want your website to be found by interested customers. And once they’re there, you want your website design to hold their attention. For one thing, the site has to load quickly, because internet users don’t want to spend a long time waiting for a site to load. In fact, more than one third of internet users, or around 38%, will abandon a website if it takes too long to load or if the pictures take too long to load.
The appearance of your website matters too, because this is how customers judge your business. As many as 38% of internet users will leave a site if the website content is not visually or otherwise appealing. In fact researchers have found that if people had only 15 minutes to spare on a website, they would prefer to spend it on a beautifully designed website rather than a plain one. Budgeting for custom website design may be one of the best investments you can make with your advertising budget.
What does local search engine optimization do?
Local search engine optimization allows users who are searching for businesses in your area to find you easily when they do an online search. Adding in local keywords in your website content makes sure that your site will be found, leading to higher traffic and sales. A professional web design company can help you optimize your website for local seo, and create a design that will draw in customers.
New digital marketing strategies, from local search engine optimization to mobile friendly websites, have established their worth in a relatively short period of time. Taking advantage of the potential of the internet for connectivity as well as pinpoint marketing, it draws customers to your websites and real world stores.
